Bay City State Park in Bay City, Michigan, requires a Recreation Passport for motor-vehicle entry; it does not use a separate general admission ticket for that access.
Day use is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and a hotel about 10 minutes by car from Bay City State Park gives you a place to stay for a visit. Bay City State Park is about a 10-minute drive from Northland Motel.
- Location: 3582 State Park Dr., Bay City, Michigan 48706.
- Day-use hours: Open daily
- Vehicle entry: A Recreation Passport is required.
- Entry on foot or by bicycle: Free, without a Recreation Passport.
What ‘Tickets’ Means for a Michigan State Park
For Bay City State Park, “tickets” usually means a Recreation Passport for a vehicle, not a separate ticket for each person. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires the passport for motor-vehicle entry to state parks; people arriving on foot or by nonmotorized bicycle can enter and use facilities without one.
Opening hours
- Monday to Sunday: 8 AM–10 PM
Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.
The passport covers park entry, not every paid activity or reservation. Camping, lodging, harbor reservations and shelter rentals have separate fees, so account for those separately if they apply to your visit.
Bay City State Park sits on Saginaw Bay and includes Tobico Marsh, a large remaining freshwater coastal wetland on the Great Lakes.
The park also has more than 1,000 feet of sandy beach and more than 2,000 acres of wetlands, woods and prairies. For a broader look at the park’s landscape and facilities, read what to know in a Bay City State Park visitor’s guide.
How to Confirm Bay City State Park Hours
Bay City State Park’s general day-use hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Only registered campers may remain in campgrounds after 10 p.m., except for specified events.
Hours and access rules can change, so check the official site before you go. The park page provides maps and contact details, while the general rules page covers day-use hours and entry rules. If you need to confirm a detail directly, call the park at 989-684-3020 or email DNR-BayCityStatePark@Michigan.gov.
Passes, Fees and Entry Rules
Recreation Passport options and prices depend on vehicle registration and use. For vehicles registered outside Michigan, the DNR gives an annual passport price of $42 and a daily pass price of $12. The daily pass allows entry and re-entry to any Michigan state park for that day.
A passport bought outside vehicle-registration renewal has a $5 convenience fee. At a park, you can pay for a passport by debit or credit card, cash or check. If you buy a passport outside registration renewal, permanently affix the sticker to the lower passenger-side windshield.
Special vehicle cases have separate rates: $9 for a towed-motor-vehicle passport for a secondary vehicle unhitched from a stationary RV during a current state-park stay; the primary RV must have a valid annual nonresident passport. A $22 commercial daily passport applies to vehicles weighing 24,000 pounds or more and/or with seating capacity of 16 or more.
These passport prices do not include camping or lodging. If you plan to camp, the modern campground has 189 sites; the park also has two mini cabins, identified as S and P, in the campground. Each cabin is ADA accessible and sleeps up to five people.
Getting to the Park from Kawkawlin
Bay City State Park is at 3582 State Park Dr., Bay City, Michigan 48706.
The park is east of I-75, off the Beaver Road exit. The campground entrance and the day-use and visitor-center entrance are on opposite sides of Beaver Road, so choose the entrance that matches your plans. For local transport context, see how to get around the Kawkawlin area.
Before You Set Out
Decide how you’ll arrive before choosing a pass: vehicle entry requires a Recreation Passport, while entry on foot or by nonmotorized bicycle does not. The park has an accessible beach mat, a coastal boardwalk and a beach wheelchair available at no charge.
Pets are allowed along the Lake Huron shoreline, but not in the buoyed swim area. Keep dogs on a 6-foot leash and under your immediate control. Four self-pay EV fast-charging stations are near the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center.
FAQs
Does Bay City State Park charge an admission ticket?
Motor-vehicle entry requires a Michigan Recreation Passport. People arriving on foot or by nonmotorized bicycle can enter and use facilities free of charge.
What are Bay City State Park’s day-use hours?
Open daily. Only registered campers may be in campgrounds after 10 p.m., except for specified events.
How much is a daily pass for an out-of-state vehicle?
The DNR gives the daily Recreation Passport price for vehicles registered outside Michigan as $12. It covers entry and re-entry to any state park for that day.
Where is Bay City State Park?
The park is at 3582 State Park Dr., Bay City, Michigan 48706, on the shore of Saginaw Bay.